Suction lifting apparatus.



' D. M. SUTEBELAND, JR; 1 SUCTION LIPTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 20, 1 911.

Patented Sept. 15, 1914 2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

WITNESSES l/VVE/VTOR A Dfl/V/EL M. 5Z/77/E/PLA/VOJr g O A awn/MW ATTORNEYS D. M. SUTHERLAND, JR. 7 SUCTION LIFTING APPARATUS APPLICATION FILED DEC. 20, 1911.

Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

2 SHBBTSS HEET 2.

20 O 7 25 O Q 20 76 25 5' 1 W {9 f9 o D Z 4 5 0 I s 1 I I 1 I 1/ 1 WITNESSES 9 72 INVENTOR ya? M W. I By ATTORNEYS pansible frame for supporting the suction elementswhereby the deyice may be acljustedto adapt it for use infl'connection wi h UNITED STATES DANIEL MANSON SUTHERLAND, JR., OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE PATENT orrion.

AGASOTE MILLBOARD 00., OF EWING, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SUCTION LIFTING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

Application filed December 20, 1911. Serial No. 666,896.

Lifting Apparatus, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying.

drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for holding articles by means of suction and conveying them thus held from one place to another and one of the objects thereof is to' produce an apparatus of this kind which is capable ofhandling articles such as comressed paper pulp in the form of a slab or oard. .v

Another object is to produce such an apparatus which is provided with a plurality of suction elements, each of which is yield-- ably supported in'such manner as to adapt itself automatically to the surfaces of the articleswitli which it may come into contact in the use ofthe apparatus. 7

Another object is the provision of all/ex:

;transverse bars, are provided with brackets 41:, the upper ends of which are secured to a longitudinally extending supporting-rod 5. Tensionmembers 6, each provided with. a

articles of various sizes.

Otherob'jects will be pomted out or will otherwise appear in the following description of one form of my'invention, shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus, Fig.- 2 is a section thereof on the line 22 of 'Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a section thereof on-..the'

line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 45 is a sectional detail of one of the suction elements and parts associated therewith.

The apparatus illustrated comprises frame which is suspended from a hoisting device of any suitable kind, a plurality of suction elements supported by said frame and a flexible system oficonduitsby which said elements are adapted to beconnected with a suction pump or other type of exhauster.

The'frame comprises a Set Of transversely both laterally and longitudinally.

extending, spaced bars 1, which may be the ordinary steel channel bars of commerce, upon which are supported a set of similar, longitudinally extending, spaced bars 2.

The transverse bars, are provided with slots at the points. of intersection thereof with the longitudinal bars, and the latter are provided with bolt holes at these points.

Through the slots and holes bolts 3 or other.

suitable fastening devices are inserted for holding the bars in their proper positions. By virtue of the pin and slot connection,

each of the longitudinal bars may independently be adjusted laterally, and thus, as is obvious, the width of the frame maybe adjustably varied. By tightening the fastening devices the parts may be held in their adjusted positions. It is furthermore obvious that the slots may be formed in the longitudinal bars instead of in the trans verse bars, in which case the frame would be longitudinally adjustable, or in both bars, in which case the frame would be adjustable Near their central points certain of the turnbuckle, connect the outer ends of the transverse members with the centrally disosed brackets thereon. The tension memers serve to form trusses whereby the bars are strengthened and prevented from warping or buckling during the use of the lifting apparatus The supporting rod 5 is provided near its longitudinal center with an eye? which is adapted to be engaged by, a

*f-hook 8 of a hoistingdevice 8, the latter 'being of any suitable construction. Upon th'e operation of the hoisting device, the lifting apparatus balanced thereon with its frame in a substantially horizontal plane, may be raised or lowered asdesired. The hoisting and lifting apparatus are adapted to be moved "laterally by suitable means (not shown), such as a crane, to which the hoisting apparatus is attached;

f'frame members are proble intervals with apertures through which project suction elements, each of which comprises a perforated, saucer-shaped member 9 backed by a disk 10 so as to form a suction chamber there between; Centrally of the disk 10 is secured a pipe 11 which extends upwardly through the aperture in the frame, with which the suction element is associated. Secured to the periphery of the suction element in any suitable manner is a yieldable rim 12 extending slightly below the plane of the lower surface of the perforated member 11. This rim preferably consists of a rubber tube and its function is primarily to form, in an obviousmanner, a fluid tight joint between the article lifted or to be lifted and the circumferential portions of the suction element.

Above the frame each of the pipes 11 is provided with a collar 13 which is secured to its associated pipeby a set screw 14 or any equivalent fastening means. Each.

frame aperture is of larger diameter than the diameter of its associated pipe 11 so that the suction elements are permitted both to slide freely axially and to have a slight rocking or swinging movement therein. Each collar 13 is of larger diameter than the aperture so that, resting upon those portions of the frame immediately surrounding the aperture, the collar constitutes means whereby the suction element is. supported from the frame. The collar may be rounded off on its lower surface so as to offer. a mini mum resistance to the rocking of the suction element I .To the upper end of each of-the pipes 11 is secured. the .lower member 15 of a' universal joint, within which projects the upper member. 16 thereof. A ring 17 screwthreaded to the periphery of the lower member servesto preventthe separation of the upper-and lower. members. Any suitable type of universal connection may be used but I prefer to use connections of such construction that Ithe-members thereof are loosely .heldso asto have a limited movement toward and fromp each other and are drawn into proper close relation when theint'erior of the joint is placed in communication with an exhauster.

Tokthe upper memberof the universal connection isattached apipe 18 which is connected byv flexible, branch connections with the main suction conduit 19. These flexible connections may be of any suitable kind, As shown; they; comprise ahinge J'Q n QQ i any uita le structure. nn g the pipe l8 with the pipe 21 which turn c nn c ed by a i l9i t a c s pipe rth ,l tt@nbe e e r ue a n it itbeima ese t ee Q s The man c nd iraaia a siiei rhw e of the frame approximately midway between each pair of suction elements and may be suitably supported by the frame. end of the conduit 19 is closed by a cap and extends therefrom between the pairs of elements at one side of the frame to the end of the frame, from which point it extends laterally of the frame through a flexible connection comprising hinge joints 24 and pipe sections 25, to a point at the end of the frame between the pairs of elements on the sideof the frame opposite to that on which the aforementioned pairs of elements are situated. From this point the conduit 19 extends substantially midway between the second mentioned pairs of elements lengthwise of the frame, and at its end is adapted to be connected by a flexible conduit 26. with an exhauster.

. The suction elements of each pair are connected at a common point with the conduit 19 and are therefore connected in parallel while the pairs of suction elements are connected in series. Each element-is connected with the main conduit through the intermediary of a flexible connection consisting of the universal joint, the pipes 18, 21 and 23 and the hinge joints 20 and 22. The portions of the-conduit 19 on opposite sides-of the frame. are flexibly connected together by means of the pipe sections 25 and the hinge joints 24.

-It is-obvious that when the flexible con duit 25 is connected with an exhauster, a vacuum, or pressure less than atmospheric pressure, is produced in the conduit 19,- the flexible connections and the chambers of the suction elements. Each row of suction elements may be adjusted laterally because of the pin and slot connections between the longitudinal and transverse members of the frame, the flexible connections between the suction elements and the main conduitand between the laterally spaced parallel por tions of said main conduit, permitting said adjustment.

'The suction lifting apparatus of my invention is particularly adapted for lifting and transporting sheets or boards of compressed pulp such as paper pulp. After compression, preferably by means of a hydraulic press, the boards, which are in practice approximately twelve feet in length, six feet in width and from a quarter of an inch to more than an inch in thickness, are picked up by the lifting apparatus and transported to a device for introducing them into a drying chamber. While being operated upon by the lifter the boards are both ponderous, principally on account of the amount of waterwhich they'contain, and frangible, It will readily be understood that the handling a o rd o he d m nsi n and h er described is a very delicate operation. Formerly the boards were transported by insertaii eoe of the boards,thus rendering them useless.

With the device of my invention the boards are expeditiously and efliciently transported without the slightest mutilation of or damage to-them. The frame and associated suction elements'are lowered so as to rest upon the board by the operation of the crane and hoisting device, and tlie'suction elements are placed in communicationwith the exhauster by the operation of a suitably positioned valve. The board, as will readily be understood, is thus caused to adhere to the suction elements and .may be raised and moved to any desired'point by manipulating the control devices for the hoisting device and the crane. The suction device, during these operations, performs the desirable function of removing water from the board.

v If any portion of the surface of the board isuneven or disposed at an angle to the horizontal, the particular suction element coming into contact therewith adapts itself automatically to said surface portion be cause of its flexible, hinged connections with the main suctionconduit and of its flexible,

slidable and rocking connection with the Both the rocking and ment may cause relative movements between the members of the universal joint and of the hinge joints 20 and 22, and the rocking of the suction element sufficient for all practical purposes, may take place in any axial plane. The rocking of the suction element, as will readily be understood, isfacilitated by. the employment of a loose. universal joint, the members of which may move axially toward each other, leaving a small-annular'space between them but which are drawn tightly, together when placed ilnto he"- tube 12 assures a tight joint between the board and the suction element even in places.

communication with the exhausten' where the! board surface is irregular or rough.

The size of the supporting frame and consequently the efiective area embraced by the suction elements, and the distribution of. the several suction elements may be varied in an obvious manner by manipulating the bolts 8 and shifting the longitudinal members of the frame. I claim:

ity of suction elements, each of said elements'doeing looselysupported by said frame, whereby each, element-may swing laterally from the frame in any direction and may move vertically therein, and conduits adapted to connect said elementswith an exhauster, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2-. A suction lifting apparatus comprising a frame having an aperture, a suction element comprising a pipe extending loosely through the aperture in said frame, a main conduit, anda flexible branch conduit con nectingsaid pipe with said main-conduit whereby the element may have sliding and rocking movement with respect to the frame, substantially as and for the purposedescribed. i a I I 3. A suction lifting apparatus comprising a frame having apertures, a, plurality of suction elements each comprising a pipe extending loosely through an aperture in said frame, a main conduit and flexible branch conduits connecting said pipes with said main conduit whereby the elements may each have sliding and rocking movement with respect to the frame, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. A suction lifting apparatus comprising a frame having an aperture therein, a suction element comprising a pipe of smaller diameter than said aperture and extending through said aperture, a collar secured to said pipe above said aperture whereby said element is slidably and swingingly supported by said frame and a flexible connection for placing said element in communication with an exhauster, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. A suction. lifting apparatus comprising a frame, a suction element slidably and swingingly supported from said frame, a main suction conduit, a flexible connection comprising a universal joint and a plurality of pipe sections-and hinge joints, for connecting said element with said conduit, whereby said element may move axially and swingingly with respect .to said frame and said mam suction conduit, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. In a suction'lifting apparatus, the come.

bination of a frame comprising transversely extending bars and longitudinaly extending bars, said bars being connected by pin and slot connections, whereby the size of the.

frame may be adjustably varied, suction elements supportedby said frame, a system of suction conduits adapted to connect said suction elementswitli an exhauster'and means for supporting-said frame, substantially as and for the purposeidescribed, I

3 7. lln a suction lifting apparatus, the com-- bination of a frame comprising transversely extending bars and-longitudinally extending-bars, suction elements supported'by said system of conduits adaptedflto connect said longitudinally extending bars-and a flexible i bars at their intersections being connected In testimonylwhereof I have hereunto set by pin and slot connections; whereby said my hand in the presence of two subscribing longitudinally extending bars may be moved Witnesses.

laterally to vary the effective area embraced DANIEL MANSON SUTHERLAND, JR. 5 by said suction elements and the distribu- Witnesses:

tion thereof, over said area, substantially as JOHN A. FERGUSON,

and for the purpose described. JOHN A. KEHLENBEOK. 

